COUNCILMAN’S BROTHER JUMPS INTO RACE

Robert Castaneda challenges council incumbent; former water district board member

CHULA VISTA 
Robert Castaneda, brother of Councilman Steve Castaneda, has jumped into the City Council race, filing papers to run against incumbent Pamela Bensoussan and former Otay Water District board﻿ member Larry Breitfelder.

According to the latest campaign filings available, Bensoussan raised $12,622 since July and spent $2,724 on the race so far. Breitfelder raised $11,456, which included loaning his campaign $5,000, and spent $8,894 during the same time period. Because Robert Castaneda filed his intention to run recently, he is not yet required to report his fundraising for the June 2012 elections.

Job Corps teacher Arthur Kende pulled papers to run last year but has not reported any campaign activity.

The city races are officially nonpartisan. Bensoussan has been endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party and the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council. Breitfelder, president of the Chula Vista Taxpayers Association, has been endorsed by the Chula Vista Police Officers Association and some founders and leaders of Crossroads II, a civic activist group, along with former Police Chief Bill Winters. Developer Tom Sudberry and Chula Vista political powerhouse Earl Jentz have contributed to his campaign.

“The battle lines I see being drawn have nothing to do with political party affiliation,” said Breitfelder, who ran against Councilwoman Pat Aguilar in 2010 and lost. “It’s all about some San Diego players and their local allies who see Chula Vista primarily as a source of power and revenue on the one hand — and those dedicated to Chula Vista as a community on the other.”

Bob Castaneda, 58, has worked for three former California governors and runs a renewable energy consulting business. He plans to carve out a spot in the race by painting himself as a middle-of-the-road candidate.

“Bensoussan has a lot of institutional support from the left, and Breitfelder has a lot of institutional support from the right; that doesn’t come for free,” Castaneda said. “It makes me question their independence. Elections are about choices, and at the end of the day, the incumbent candidate has to run on her record.”

Born and raised in Chula Vista, Bensoussan was elected to the City Council in November 2008. She was instrumental in finalizing the decommissioning of the South Bay Power Plant and was honored last year as a Woman of the Year by the California State Assembly.

“I am a native Chula Vistan with a strong commitment to this city and enjoy wide support from all sectors of the community. I have a solid track record, having helped position the city to thrive in the near future,” Bensoussan said. “People know me and trust that I make decisions based on what’s best for the city. I’m excited to continue working in that capacity.”

A campaign committee opposing her election called the Anybody But Pamela Committee has raised $1,291 from various donors.

Council members run at-large, meaning voters throughout the city can cast a ballot for any candidate, but candidates run for specific seats. Two seats are up for election this term: those of incumbent Bensoussan and Councilman Castaneda, who is termed out.

Running for Castaneda’s seat is former Assemblywoman Mary Salas and Linda Wagner, a longtime aide to Councilman Castaneda.

Salas raised $14,725 and spent $4,278 on her campaign. Because Wagner filed in late January, she is not yet required to report her campaign finance forms.

Despite favorable results in polling conducted by Competitive Edge Research, which surveyed 400 likely June voters, former mayor Shirley Horton said she will not be seeking election to a council seat this year.